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Little advice on upgrading current speakers

Big greetings to all. Im at the point where i do want to upgrade my speakers and after months of reading and watching reviews im not closer to a solutions so i turn to y'all far some advice .My courant system is Sonus Faber Venere 1.5, Hegel H200 , Mac Mini music server with hi rez files and mydac as dac . I listen to all sorts of music but my bread and butter is rock and metal music. if anyone is interested cabling is HiDiamond and straight wire .This being said i love sound of SF and the design how they look in the space, but they just do not have enough punch for music i primarily listen . I was thinking should i go to smaller floor standers or stay with stand mounts and maybe add a sub down the road . Like i mentioned design is important as they are in my living room that are medium size and open to the kitchen and wife factor is important, budget is around 3k US$ .
I was looking on used SF Olympica 1, new Sonetto 3 ,Dynaudio contour 3.4 or used 30s, audio vector sr 1 .even venere 2.5 were option as you can get them cheap and do a small upgrade on crossovers for way under budget. was also looking @ buchardt s400 and even low cost q acoustics 3050i
I have option to hear only sonettos and new olympica nova. 
I love SF sound i heard few old dynaudio's but that was a long time a go bfr i knew anything so i can't remember much of that sound. 
Any help guidance and comments are welcomed 
Thanks Bo Texas
subcrime
verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,499 posts
 
An interesting idea is the Scansonic MB1 Bs.  They are redesigned recently and are a little easier to place than the old MB-1s.  You have a choice in stand as it fits with both the Raidho X stands and the scansonic stands and has a pretty high WAF as they are small and very well made.

The tweeter in the Scansonics is what is special and is similar to what you find in Raidhos.  Wonderful sounding speaker with an extremely engaging soundstage.  Lots of detail but it doesn't cross over into being harsh or grainy.  Sound profile is smooth and enjoyable and is largely good for all types of music.  Good frequency response in a little box and will work well with your amplifier.  Will come in under budget.

There are some great reviews out there on the old MB-1s and these are even better.  

I am a scansonic dealer and you can see them here:
https://verdantaudio.com/products/scansonic-hd-mb-1b-stand-mount-speakers

I have a pair of these coming in with Scansonic stands this week and I offer a 30 day in-home trial.  PM me if you want to discuss.  

I also make a line of speakers under the Verdant Audio brand but my least expensive speaker starts a bit above your budget.  

Another really good option that I think is a brilliant speaker for the money is the Revel Performa3 M106.  With stands they will come in around $2500 and are a very smooth speaker.  Tons of detail and a wonderful soundstage.  I don't sell Revel.  
jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
wow sonus fabers for rock is major mismatch

try tekton, golden ear, better klipsch, newer big jbl
subcrime OP
13 posts
 
@jjss49 i would not agree but thats just me. as i mentioned on the begging design is a big must as a WIFE factor is big DEAL bcs she doesnt understand why i need new speakers when these are working perfectly . i do not like klipsch sound or jbl design and as I am to look at them every day that will not work . 
@verdantaudio how would you describe the sound of mb series natural ,forward , i heard they are hard to position and long break ins ? 
@soix thank you for your inputs greatly appreciated . i did had a chance to demo Olympica 1 when i was buying venere and i did like the sound of them .I know venere doesnt sound as rest of the SF line but i like that they aren't analytical . i do not want bright speaker i just want to play music and enjoy it , i do not need to hear every detail ,venere just lacks some  separation and like i said more depth and dynamics .
thank y'all for your thoughts
verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,499 posts
 
The old MBs were HORRIBLE to position and took 200-300 hours to break in.  Whole line has been completely redesigned.  The MB1 B reflects the new designers approach which was all about making them more approachable and easier to live with.    

They explicitly state the new speakers break in within 100 hours and are designed so that placement is extremely flexible and they can even be placed close to the wall.  100 hours is nothing in terms of break-in time and can be easily achieved within 30 days.  

I find Scansonics to be pretty natural sounding.  The detail is achieved through quality of driver rather than increasing the volume on the tweeter.  I personally prefer a slightly forward sound profile in a speaker and these are warmer than my optimal taste.  I am not sure if they are dead neutral but they are definitely not bright, nor are they dark or laid back. 

The thing about Scansonics and all Raidho products is the soundstage and imaging.  That is what makes them special.   

I am waiting for my freight company to schedule an appointment to drop these off as they should clear customs today.  As I said above, 30 day in-home trial if you want to give them a try.  If you want, I will also take your Veneres on trade to make it easier but if you are unhappy with the Scasonics, could be a challenge if the Veneres have been sold if you want to return, etc...
simao's avatar
simao
1,819 posts
 
+1 for the LSA's
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